The Plain Janes

Castellucci, Cecil and Jim Rugg. 2007. THE PLAIN JANES. New York: DC Comics, 2007.

 Cecil Castellucci normally writes young adult novels, but with THE PLAIN JANES, she makes her graphic novel debut. No worries, though, this graphic novel is still written with teens in mind. After she's caught in a bomb attack, Jane's parents decide to relocate her from the city to the suburbs. There, bored out of her mind and worried about fitting in, she meets three other girls--all named Jane. Finding a kinship in each other, they form a secret club called the P.L.A.I.N. Janes--People Loving Art in Neighborhoods. They decide to liven up the town with art and manage to gain the title of "art terrorists". If you think that all sounds interesting, well, you're right! This graphic novel was a delight to read, fast paced and extremely entertaining. The artwork by Jim Rugg is clean and somewhat realistic. Says one reviewer: "Regular comics readers will enjoy it, but fans of soul-searching, realistic young adult fiction should know about it as well."

Reference List:

Goldstein, Lisa. 2007. Starred review of The Plain Janes, by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg. School Library Journal.